Family Dynamics

Below is a collection of some more personal aspects that may arise as part of you or your client’s holistic plan and needs.

Resource Topics

Trust Ownership of Family Businesses:
Planning for the Future

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, February 2024 The scenario is all too common. The founders (or non-founding owners) of a family business realize it’s time to do some estate planning. Their email inboxes have been…

Read More about Trust Ownership of Family Businesses: Planning for the Future

Mental Health and Estate Planning

Patricia joins Arden O’Connor of the Beyond the Balance Sheet podcast in a discussion about estate planning with mental health and addiction issues in mind. Patricia outlines the first steps that families need to take before starting their estate plans.…

Read More about Mental Health and Estate Planning

How Should Wealthy Parents Treat Wayward Offspring?

by Emma Jacobs – Originally published in Financial Times on May 26, 2021Giving children too much money, too early, risks indulging them and making them irresponsible. Patricia Angus and other experts offer advice on the delicate balance wealthy parents face…

Read More about How Should Wealthy Parents Treat Wayward Offspring?

Permanent Rifts or Temporary Fissures?

Advising clients and bridging divides in a time of turmoil By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Trust and Estates on January 19, 2021 When I started writing under the theme “building bridges,” eight years ago, I had two goals in…

Read More about Permanent Rifts or Temporary Fissures?

COVID Conversations

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in WealthManagement.com April 2020 By now, unless you work in health care or an “essential business,” you’ve likely settled into “self-isolation” mode. Working at home, your family is now nearby—physically and/or on the…

Read More about COVID Conversations

Family Enterprise in the Spotlight: Key Takeaways from the Sackler Family Enterprise Story

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published by Columbia Business School Family Business Program in 2020 Introduction: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis was considered by many to be the greatest public health threat to the well-being of…

Read More about Family Enterprise in the Spotlight: Key Takeaways from the Sackler Family Enterprise Story

Weddings, Engagements and Prenups

Help clients address the “what ifs” before the “I dos.” By Marvin Blum – Originally published on Trusts and Estates in February 2018. Tying the knot. Settling down. Getting hitched. Taking the plunge. Regardless of what you call it, getting…

Read More about Weddings, Engagements and Prenups

Should Parents Tell Their Adult Children What’s in Their Estate Planning Documents? Yes.

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Wealth Management.com in February 2015.  In general, transparency is the best approach. In general, I believe transparency is the best approach to estate planning when a client has adult children. Of course,…

Read More about Should Parents Tell Their Adult Children What’s in Their Estate Planning Documents? Yes.

Planning Trust Administration to Avoid Conflict

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in WealthManagement.com in December 2014 In wealth management, the trust is the most common structure used to realize our widely recognized and accepted freedom of disposition. Within broad parameters, the law of trusts…

Read More about Planning Trust Administration to Avoid Conflict

‘Tis the Season: Year-end planning that doesn’t lead your clients down the road to conflict

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Wealth Management.com in December 2014.  Year-end planning that doesn’t lead your clients down the road to conflict. Last month, I wrote about family business feuds and how they could be prevented more…

Read More about ‘Tis the Season: Year-end planning that doesn’t lead your clients down the road to conflict

Family Feuds: Lessons learned from the headlines

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, November 2014 Hardly a day goes by without a headline about a “family business feud” in the pages of national newspapers or in blasts from various media sources. It’s hard…

Read More about Family Feuds: Lessons learned from the headlines

Beneficiary’s Choice

One way to reduce the chance of creating trust fund babies By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, August 2014 Among trusts and estates professionals, especially lawyers, but also family office executives, accountants and financial advisors, the…

Read More about Beneficiary’s Choice

Got Love? Getting to the “heart” of it

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Wealth Management.com in February 2014. Valentine’s Day is always a bright spot in the midst of a sometimes (especially this year on the East Coast) long, cold winter. Long enough into the…

Read More about Got Love? Getting to the “heart” of it

“Go Away”

A tried and true wealth preservation “technique” By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, August 2013 During the hazy, hot and humid days of summer, it can be hard for advisors to think about how to help…

Read More about “Go Away”

What is a “Family?”

Supreme Court rulings highlight timeless estate planning questions By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, June 2013 This has been quite a week for legal rulings affecting the trusts and estates community: the Supreme Court essentially struck…

Read More about What is a “Family?”

Family Meetings Come of Age: How to create an effective forum for all generations

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on WealthManagement.com, 2013 As older members of the Baby Boom generation were reaching adulthood, I spent many an hour watching the bevy of TV shows that were focused on the ways that the…

Read More about Family Meetings Come of Age: How to create an effective forum for all generations

Island Hopping

An archipelago can be a model for healthy relationships. By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, December 2012 Last month, I had the opportunity to walk through a city that’s connected as much by its bridges as…

Read More about Island Hopping

Family Governance Meets Family Dynamics: a Survey and Strategies for Successful Joint Philanthropy

By Patricia M. Angus and Fredda Herz Brown, Ph.D. – Originally published on NCFP Passages in 2007. The Smith family* had been running their foundation for about four years when it hit a roadblock. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, in their…

Read More about Family Governance Meets Family Dynamics: a Survey and Strategies for Successful Joint Philanthropy

A Road Map: Choosing Advisors To Help Your Family With Governance and Family Dynamics

By Jane N. Abitanta, Patricia M. Angus, and Fredda Herz Brown – December 7, 2006 General Tips for Your Selection Process 1.  Consider this a learning experience having a number of firms and/or individuals to choose from will help your…

Read More about A Road Map: Choosing Advisors To Help Your Family With Governance and Family Dynamics

Sharing the Family Vacation Home

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in WealthManagement.com July 2015 Five tips for making frolicking more likely than fighting. Ahh, summer. A time to get away to the family vacation home, kick back, bask in the sun and gather…

Read More about Sharing the Family Vacation Home

Trust Ownership of Family Businesses:
Planning for the Future

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, February 2024 The scenario is all too common. The founders (or non-founding owners) of a…

Read More

Mental Health and Estate Planning

Patricia joins Arden O’Connor of the Beyond the Balance Sheet podcast in a discussion about estate planning with mental health and addiction issues in mind….

Read More

How Should Wealthy Parents Treat Wayward Offspring?

by Emma Jacobs – Originally published in Financial Times on May 26, 2021Giving children too much money, too early, risks indulging them and making them…

Read More

Permanent Rifts or Temporary Fissures?

Advising clients and bridging divides in a time of turmoil By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Trust and Estates on January 19, 2021 When I…

Read More

COVID Conversations

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in WealthManagement.com April 2020 By now, unless you work in health care or an “essential business,” you’ve likely…

Read More

Family Enterprise in the Spotlight: Key Takeaways from the Sackler Family Enterprise Story

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published by Columbia Business School Family Business Program in 2020 Introduction: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis…

Read More

Weddings, Engagements and Prenups

Help clients address the “what ifs” before the “I dos.” By Marvin Blum – Originally published on Trusts and Estates in February 2018. Tying the…

Read More

Should Parents Tell Their Adult Children What’s in Their Estate Planning Documents? Yes.

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Wealth Management.com in February 2015.  In general, transparency is the best approach. In general, I believe transparency…

Read More

Planning Trust Administration to Avoid Conflict

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in WealthManagement.com in December 2014 In wealth management, the trust is the most common structure used to realize…

Read More

‘Tis the Season: Year-end planning that doesn’t lead your clients down the road to conflict

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Wealth Management.com in December 2014.  Year-end planning that doesn’t lead your clients down the road to conflict….

Read More

Family Feuds: Lessons learned from the headlines

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, November 2014 Hardly a day goes by without a headline about a “family business feud”…

Read More

Beneficiary’s Choice

One way to reduce the chance of creating trust fund babies By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, August 2014 Among trusts…

Read More

Got Love? Getting to the “heart” of it

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on Wealth Management.com in February 2014. Valentine’s Day is always a bright spot in the midst of a…

Read More

“Go Away”

A tried and true wealth preservation “technique” By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, August 2013 During the hazy, hot and humid…

Read More

What is a “Family?”

Supreme Court rulings highlight timeless estate planning questions By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, June 2013 This has been quite a…

Read More

Family Meetings Come of Age: How to create an effective forum for all generations

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published on WealthManagement.com, 2013 As older members of the Baby Boom generation were reaching adulthood, I spent many an…

Read More

Island Hopping

An archipelago can be a model for healthy relationships. By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in Trusts & Estates, December 2012 Last month, I had…

Read More

Family Governance Meets Family Dynamics: a Survey and Strategies for Successful Joint Philanthropy

By Patricia M. Angus and Fredda Herz Brown, Ph.D. – Originally published on NCFP Passages in 2007. The Smith family* had been running their foundation…

Read More

A Road Map: Choosing Advisors To Help Your Family With Governance and Family Dynamics

By Jane N. Abitanta, Patricia M. Angus, and Fredda Herz Brown – December 7, 2006 General Tips for Your Selection Process 1.  Consider this a…

Read More

Sharing the Family Vacation Home

By Patricia M. Angus – Originally published in WealthManagement.com July 2015 Five tips for making frolicking more likely than fighting. Ahh, summer. A time to…

Read More